As I write this our home is full and happy. Our daughter and her family from Atlanta are enjoying their last night with us before returning home. Our son and his family are here as is our other daughter and her boyfriend. In addition, our daughter-in-love’s sister and her family just walked in the door to enjoy time with us before they move in a couple of weeks. It is a loud and distracting atmosphere in which I am posting, so hopefully what I have to share makes sense. 🙂

There is something special about being together face-to-face. In this day of Skype, Facetime and Facebook we can spend quality time together without ever leaving our house. But these technologies can never replace the joy that comes with being together. We are human, and God created us to enjoy fellowship together. This is why welcoming people into our home is such a big deal to God.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
(Hebrews 13:2 ESV)

We recently had the privilege of meeting Brad and Kate Aldrich of One Flesh Marriage face-to-face. We have talked to them for over a year through social media. They feel like close friends, yet we have never had any time together in person…until last week.

On Monday night they came to our house for dinner. It was a joy to welcome them into our home. We talked about our stories, about our writing, about our blogs, and about our dreams for the future. When it was all said and done we were even more grateful to God for causing our paths to cross. It was as if God had set us on the same path knowing we would meet and our stories would be similar. He knew we would find rich fellowship together on this night, and I believe our time together made Him smile.

Last month we joined with Brad and Kate in the start of a new organization called the Christian Marriage Bloggers Association. It is our hope that this organization will facilitate the creation of even more marriage blogs with a biblical conviction for growing strong marriages. Having a network of support with like-minded people like the Aldrich’s will help make this dream a reality.

What are your dreams for your marriage? Do you talk about them often? If not, why not plan a dream date night. Here are the rules: set aside time where you can be together in an undistracted way. No TV, no children, no cell phones. Talk about what you would like to see happen in the next year, five years, ten years. You are not allowed to talk about the negative aspects of any idea. This is for brain-storming. Think about all the possibilities and dream big. Write down your thoughts, and let God lead you through it all. Tuck away these notes and commit together to pray about them. You never know what God will do as a result of your dreams and your prayers, but it’s exciting to share these goals together. When they come true, guaranteed it will draw your hearts closer to God and to each other.

Be sure to check out our Romantic Easter Ideas under the Husbands Only and Wives Only tabs above. Each holiday is an opportunity to bless your spouse in a special way. We’re here to help you come up with ideas. If you have an idea that has worked for you, please share it with us in the comments in each of these rooms.

Harry P. Leu Gardens presents Date Night in the Garden on Friday, April 6th. This month’s featured movie is Twilight. The gates open at 6p. and the movie starts at 8:30p. Cost is $7 for non-members and FREE for members.

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About Debi Walter

Face it, marriage is hard work. But when cultivated daily the fruit produced will satisfy for a lifetime. We're here to help with ideas and encouragement along the way. Having been married 36 years and counting, we share what we've learned with practical tips, Biblical Truths, Date night ideas to help you plow your own vineyard for God's glory.

Debi,
You are exactly correct, even in the Internet world nothing can replace the connection of meeting face to face! It was such a blessing to Kate and I to meet the two of you! We really enjoyed our time together and all the God moments it brought!

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Tom and Debi

Face it, marriage is hard work. But when cultivated daily the fruit produced will satisfy for a lifetime. We're here to help with ideas and encouragement along the way. Having been married 36 years and counting, we share what we've learned with practical tips, Biblical Truths, Date night ideas to help you plow your own vineyard for God's glory.